Sustainability

The ideals of sustainability are ubiquitous in today’s world. Companies are pursuing CSR programmes, individuals are advocating the importance of sustainablity and ‘green’ networks have formed via the web. One of the main sectors becoming more aware of sustainability is the food industry. While there is a long way to go with huge food conglomerates still using their power and size to make the industry unfair, things are slowly changing and we as individuals are to thank for this. There are so many amazing websites, books, videos, applications and other resources hosting huge amounts of information on sustainability in the food industry. I thought I would share some of my favourites!

WEBSITES

• Eat Drink Better: A great website filled with recipes and information to help you eat and drink better!
• GOOD FOOD: A subset of GOOD magazine with interesting food articles intertwined with a whole host of other issues and topics
• TreeHugger: A website with a huge amount of information and articles to do with anything green and sustainable. Their food page has topical articles and the odd delicious recipe
• The Ecologist: Used to be the world’s leading environmental affairs magazine and relaunched online in 2009 . Good coverage of controversial issues.
• Grist: Comments on environmental news with a lively and interesting twist
• Blue Living Ideas: Specifically focuses on news and resources in relation to water
• Bruce Bradley: A very insightful blog into the realities of the food industry. Bruce Bradley worked as a corporate in some of the top food conglomerates and has taken a step back to provide his readers with the truth behind the scenes
• The Guardian Sustainable Business: Reports on all news relating to sustainable, sometimes hosts interesting debates with experts in the field.
• Marine Stewardship Council: A certification website which can help determine what seafood constitutes as sustainable

BOOKS

• The Omnivore’s Dilemma – Michael Pollan: an incredible book which deeply examines the food industry. Pollan breaks his book into three distinct food philosophies:  conventional food production, organic production and self sufficiency via hunting and gathering. One of the best books I have read.
• In Defense of Food – Michael Pollan: Follows on from the Omnivore’s Dilemma however focuses on the health impact of today’s Western food culture
• Eating Animals – Jonathan Safran: A much more confronting piece into the production of meat but a necessary read
• Our Choice: Al Gore: A great illustrative book on climate change. Breaks down all of the issues and clearly explains them and the possible solutions
• It Tastes Better – Kylie Kwong (cookbook): Kylie Kwong is a huge advocate for sustainable eating. This cook book is amazing – she visits organic, bio-dynamic, sustainable producers from all over Australia. Not only do you get to learn about these beautiful food producers, their ideas behind food sustainability, but you have about 80 or so of Kylie’s recipes based around these farmers she visited.
• The Urban Cook – Mark Jensen (cookbook): Another great cook book by the co-owner of Red Lantern. All based on sustainability and cooking with foods that are season.

VIDEOS

• Food Inc: A great film which visually documents a lot of the same themes as Micheal Pollan’s book; The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Also illustrates the destructiveness of large food corporates such as Monsanto.
• DIRT: This is the most beautiful documentary, I think I have watched it 3 or 4 times now! Talks about the essence of life: dirt and how it needs to be respected by the food industry.
• How I fell in love with a Fish: An amazing 20 minute TED talk by Chef Dan Barber on sustainability in the fish industry. He recounts a visit to a fish farm in Spain where the principles of this farm beautifully mimics nature’s life cycle.